Marco Consani

Runners Questions

What is your running background?

I started off running on roads as a way of keeping fit for hillwalking on the Scottish hills. This became more competitive as I started to run in Half marathons and 10k’s and then joining a running club and running in my first marathon. Then one day I opened an email from my wife with the subject – “Fancy this….” With a link to the Devil of the Highlands Ultra. It took me a few years to get Ultras right but then I am competitive and the wife was doing well, so couldn’t let her get all the plaudits. After a few West Highland Way races, D33 and Glasgow to Edinburgh’s I was selected to run for Scotland in the 100K and then Great Britain in the 24 hour.

When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?

That fateful email from Debbie – “Fancy this…”. I think also I expected more from the Marathon and was slightly disappointed that that was it when I finished my first one.

When or where (at which events) are we most likely to see you?

24 hour running, Lake District

What are your personal key running achievements to date?

Part of the Mens Gold (European and World) 24 hour team 2015

Part of the Mens European Silver 24 hour team 2016

Part of the Winning Scottish ACP 100K Team 2013

Track record for the Barcelona 24 hour race – 256.531km

Course record for the Glasgow to Edinburgh Race – 6 hours 19 mins

Won the Lakeland 100 (2014) 2nd in 2015/2016

2nd West Highland Way 2013

What was your hardest race experience?

My hardest experience was the World 24 hour in Turin in 2015. I had been running really well until about 18 hours when I just couldn’t keep warm and ended up shivering in a first aid tent for 4 hours. It was really hard to take after being at my fittest and up until then having a really good race.

What events do you have planned for 2016 up to Spartathlon?

I have the World 24 hour Championships in Belfast in July

What is your typical race strategy for an ultra?

Forget what everyone else is doing and stick to your own plan

What does a typical training week look like?

A typical week will have and easy run on a Monday, Speed on a Tuesday, Easy or steady on a Wednesday, Thursday is hills, with Friday as an easy run with circuits and strides. Saturday and Sunday will have back to back longer runs or a short race and longer run.

What one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time?

Watch your pacing. Continually ask yourself if you can keep that pace going throughout the race.

Can you tell us one interesting fact about yourself?

When I first started to run in Ultra Races I couldn’t pace myself at all and used to go out hard and fast. After injury I was relegated to supporting my Wife Debbie as she ran for Scotland and then Great Britain. At that point I was fine with never doing an Ultra again.

Watching how she paced and the methods that she used taught me a great deal about running and myself and I slowly got back into Ultra Running again which was a good thing as I started to improve and meet a lot of really nice people that I now call my friends.

I’m also really competitive and couldn’t let Debbie have all the limelight….

Spartathlon Questions

Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before?

No.

What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race?

The end. Watching Debbie and everyone else running through Sparta with the children at the end looked amazing and it made my mind up to one day run in this race.

What are you not looking forward to during the Spartathlon race?

The heat. I may have an Italian sounding name but I have been brought up in Scotland and don’t do heat.

How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race?

Yikes – I’ll get my next race done first before I think about this. The 24 hour race in Belfast though will certainly be good preparation.